Dubai flights: 48-hour validity PCR tests must for passengers from over 12 countries

NHS Covid-19 test certificates are not accepted for travel from the United Kingdom

Waheed Abbas

Published: Tue 4 Jan 2022, 3:11 PM

Passengers travelling from more than two dozen countries to Dubai will have to present a negative Covid-19 PCR with a validity of 48 hours.

This also includes passengers transiting through Dubai airports.

Effective January 2, 2022, all passengers travelling from the UK to Dubai must hold a negative Covid-19 PCR test certificate taken no more than 48 hours before departure. In the latest update on its website, Emirates airline said that the certificate must be for a Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT PCR) test.

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It said the RT PCR test result certificate must state where the test sample was taken. NHS Covid-19 test certificates are not accepted for travel from the United Kingdom.

In addition, passengers arriving or transiting through Dubai from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Sudan and Zambia must carry a valid negative Covid-19 PCR test certificate with a QR code conducted within 48 hours. The QR code must be presented at check-in and to the Dubai Health Authority representatives upon arrival in Dubai airports.

Passengers from these seven countries must also take a rapid Covid-19 PCR test report with a QR code within six hours of departure at the airport.

Effective January 1, 2022, all passengers travelling on Emirates from Lebanon to Dubai must carry a negative PCR test with a QR code from an approved facility within 48 hours of departure.

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But travel restrictions are in place for passengers from Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Republic of Congo, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

Only employees of official missions between UAE and the aforesaid countries; UAE nationals, first-degree relative(s) and their domestic/house workers/helpers; and UAE golden visa holders can fly to Dubai but must carry a negative Covid-19 PCR test with a validity of fewer than 48 hours.

While passengers coming from more than 50 countries must take another Covid-19 test upon arrival at Dubai airports. This includes passengers travelling from Afghanistan, Angola, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Cambodia, Chile, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Georgia, Ghana, Guinea, India, Iran, Iraq and Ivory Coast.

The other countries are Jordan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Liberia, Morocco, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Romania, Rwanda, Russia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Somaliland, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Last week, it was announced that Dubai International airport would carry out random PCR tests on passengers arriving on flights, not on screening lists, to contain the pandemic's spread. Some passengers travelling from the UK to Dubai also underwent random testing upon arrival at the airport.

-waheedabbas@khaleejtimes.com